How tarnished is the gold, how changed the noble
metal; How the sacred stones lie strewn at every street corner!

2

Zion's precious sons, fine gold their
counterpart, Now worth no more than earthen jars made by the hands of a potter!

3

1 Even the jackals bare their breasts and suckle
their young; The daughter of my people has become as cruel as the ostrich in
the desert.

4

The tongue of the suckling cleaves to the roof
of its mouth in thirst; The babes cry for food, but there is no one to give it
to them.

5

Those accustomed to dainty food perish in the
streets; Those brought up in purple now cling to the ash heaps.

6

The punishment of the daughter of my people is
greater than the penalty of Sodom, Which was overthrown in an instant without
the turning of a hand.

7

Brighter than snow were her princes, whiter
than milk, More ruddy than coral, more precious than sapphire.

8

Now their appearance is blacker than soot, they
are unrecognized on the streets; Their skin shrinks on their bones, as dry as
wood.

9

Better for those who perish by the sword than
for those who die of hunger, Who waste away, as though pierced through, lacking
the fruits of the field!

10

The hands of compassionate women boiled their
own children, To serve them as mourners' food in the downfall of the daughter
of my people.

11

The LORD has spent his anger, poured out his
blazing wrath; He has kindled a fire in Zion that has consumed her foundations.

12

The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any
of the world's inhabitants, That enemy or foe could enter the gates of
Jerusalem.

13

2 Because of the sins of her prophets and the
crimes of her priests, Who shed in her midst the blood of the just! -

14

They staggered blindly in the streets, soiled
with blood, So that people could not touch even their garments:

15

"Away you unclean!" they cried to
them, "Away, away, do not draw near!" If they left and wandered among
the nations, nowhere could they remain.

16

The LORD himself has dispersed them, he regards
them no more; He does not receive the priests with favor, nor show kindness to
the elders.

17

3 Our eyes ever wasted away, looking in vain for
aid; From our watchtower we watched for a nation that could not save us.

18

Men dogged our steps so that we could not walk
in our streets; Our end drew near, and came; our time had expired.

19

Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the
air, They harassed us on the mountains and waylaid us in the desert.

20

4 The anointed one of the LORD, our breath of
life, was caught in their snares, He in whose shadow we thought we could live
on among the nations.

21

5 Though you rejoice and are glad, O daughter
Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz, To you also shall the cup be passed; you
shall become drunk and naked.

22

Your chastisement is completed, O daughter
Zion, he will not prolong your exile; But your wickedness, O daughter Edom, he
will punish, he will lay bare your sins.

1 [3] Cruel as the ostrich: see note
on ⇒ Job 39:14-16. Jerusalem, in her distress, has
abandoned her children.

2 [13-15] The priests and the false
prophets lulled the people into an illusory security
(⇒ Jeremiah 2:8; ⇒ 5:31;
⇒ 6:13; etc.), condoning and entering into their
crimes so that they themselves became unclean.

3 [17] A nation: Egypt, which failed
to give effective aid against Babylon.

4 [20] Our breath of life: the king.
This is a royal epithet borrowed from Egyptian usage, while the anointed one of
the LORD is Israelite. After the disaster of 598 B.C. (⇒ 2
Kings 24:1-17), Jerusalem could have hoped to live in peace amidst
her neighbors; but they (⇒ Lam 4:21-22) as well as
Babylon turned against her to ensure her total devastation in 587 B.C.